ADDED: After posting that, the very next thing I saw was email from "Barack Obama" (the email address is democraticparty@democrats.org) that read:

Ann --

A few weeks ago, one of the Republicans running to follow me in this office referred to me as "the outgoing president."

Now, it is technically true that I'll be leaving this office in about 18 months. And our opponents are counting on the values and ideals that have been at the foundation of my presidency following me out the door.

But they're forgetting one important thing: These have always been your values, too.

The other side is betting that your passion -- your desire to make change -- is coming to an end. And right now, you have a chance to prove them wrong.

Pitch in $10 or whatever you can and be one of the last 23 people we need to step up in your community before tonight's deadline....

One of the last 23 people we need to step up in your community? That's weird. Too weird. Who responds to that kind of creepy particularity? The President of the United States is counting heads, in my community? If I were paranoid, I'd be freaked out that the number is 23. I've favored that number since the 1970s.

52 comments:

Race relations are much, much worse now than they were in 2008. Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Dylann Roof, #BlackLivesMatter, the Confederate battle flag kerfuffle ... now Jefferson and Washington are in the SJW crosshairs ... the American flag is next ...

HIs poll numbers did go up, but it's interesting how his "great week" was marketing. It was a shooting of 9 people, turned into a great moment for him because he sang at a funeral.Gay marriage- something he ran against just 6 years ago- was made legal by courts, not by him.And Obamacare is able to continue spending federal money.

In the meantime, the Iran talks are a mess, ISIS is killing people in horrific ways, the UK had 30 people slaughtered on a beach, and 9 people were shot in a mass killing.

OH, and there were two escaped prisoners on the loose. Which would make some question Obama's dream of closing Gitmo and putting Kahlid Sheik Mohammed in prison here in the US. But no. There are no questions to be asked. Obama sang!

It was revealed that over 14 million people had their most private information hacked due to lax security of the OPM. It was further revealed the Obama administration decided to lie about the scope of it, to make it sound as if there were different hacks, so they could get away without reporting it. All the while, Obama says he has confidence in the leadership of the OPM.

Given Iran the nuke and declined ANY investigations of their facilities.Destabilized the entire Middle East.Led to a NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN THAT SAME MIDDLE EAST.Has nothing planned for Greece's collapse.Has made the US Putin's bitch.Allowed China to hack US federal employee info and hasn't even said a word about it.Protected several federal agencies in absolute violation of laws.Defended his Sec of State in her multiple violations of law.Has, as always, shown that the only enemy he has are conservatives and Republicans.

Time cannot come soon enough for him to be an ex-President. And when he dies, there isn't enough urine in the world to piss on his grave with.

Most of this is due to the Left coming home to roost over the Supreme Court rulings and moderates giving him credit for the gradually improving economy. It's also possible that some of this is the backwash effect of negative news about the Clintons (making Obama seem better by comparison for those on the Left) and negative news on Trump (making some moderates think a GOP clown show is starting, and making Obama seem adult by coparison).

It doesn't much matter though, as the man is for all practical purposes an ex president. His only second term legacy will be the trade deal he worked out with the GOP--everything else will be small-ball executive orders and a few lofty speeches. More important is whether any clout he has will help the Democratic nominee--his coattails are notoriously short.

@Meade, some economics homework for you. What does the US economy look like if you subtract the contribution of Texas? Compare and contrast the 49 states' economy with the stagflation economy under Jimmy Carter.

Face it, Obama looked like a winner this week. Hillary on the other hand has been taking some studiously ignored hits.

For instance she altered some of those emails she handed over to take out embarrassing references to oil rights in the Libyan debacle.

There is actually a law about the falsifying or concealing public records.

May I quote:

18 U.S. Code § 2071 - Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally

(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b)Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.

"For instance she altered some of those emails she handed over to take out embarrassing references to oil rights in the Libyan debacle."

-- You say altered, I say tampered.

Frankly, that would have sunk any other person on the planet from having any hopes to do anything ever again. She should be in jail. She tampered with the federal record and lied on official documents.

If Obama's "great poll numbers" mean that half the country, statistically speaking and via CNN, think he's doing a decent job, I think the poll is probably correct, so far as it goes. Obama had a damned good week, after all, what with the PPACA and gay marriage (the White House be-rainbowed, forsooth!) and his Charleston eulogy and everything. And with all that, he actually broke even in a poll; for the first time in years, half the people approved of him.

I don't actually think that this is much of an accomplishment, myself.

Others have beaten me to it; any improved polling numbers are a triumph for media spin.

Instead of recalling that Obama opposed gay marriage to get elected in 2008 and as recently as 2012, the White House was bathed, literally and figuratively, in rainbow colors.

And instead of recalling what a partisan mess of bad drafting, it was said that the Supreme Court "upheld" the ACA, instead of reporting the fact that the Supreme Court saved the Act by declining to enforce some of its clearest terms.

"You're sharp. Thats exactly what I meant. The sub-text for Hillary is that is that it's really Bill round two and Hillary is only the beard. Like George Wallace and his wife."

What is it with these corrupt Southern Democrats who keep trying to rule through their wives?

The only difference between Bill Clinton and George Wallace was that in Wallace's time it was more politically advantageous to be openly segregationist. No serious person thinks Bill Clinton would not have done the same if he came of age thirty years earlier.

last week was a good week, and overlooked was Isis killing spree, Iranian surrender and the Greeks slide into bankruptcy. This week, the Greeks and Puerto Rico slip further in the abyss, ISIS will start a new killing spree, the Iranians continues to take Obama for a ride and Obamacare may have survived a legal challenge but reality of Obamacare of being overpriced continues. Realty bites again and the polls will reflect.

I hope for obvious reasons that Greece does not turn into a general economic disaster, but if that did happen we might remember "Obama's great week" the same way we remember the "summer of the shark attacks" from 2001.

Obama is like the guy at the office who keeps getting promoted even though no one ever sees him actually doing anything except showing up when a project starts and then presenting it to management and taking credit for it when it's done.

Brando said..."You're sharp. Thats exactly what I meant. The sub-text for Hillary is that is that it's really Bill round two and Hillary is only the beard. Like George Wallace and his wife."

What is it with these corrupt Southern Democrats who keep trying to rule through their wives?

The only difference between Bill Clinton and George Wallace was that in Wallace's time it was more politically advantageous to be openly segregationist. No serious person thinks Bill Clinton would not have done the same if he came of age thirty years earlier.

6/30/15, 1:54 PM"

Absolutely correct. Indeed Bill was sleazier and more corrupt than Wallace. I mentioned Hillary in the context of Bill simply because Bill was lucky in both the timing of his accidental election and in his enemies allowing him to have a successful economy in spite of himself and voters will tend to conflate Hillary with Bill and hope for the same accidental run of good economic luck. Without Bill Hillary is nothing. No record worth speaking off and no accomplishments worth speaking off unless one is an admirer of graft and corruption.

Can't say that I remember that one. But I did think for a long time that I had imagined "It's in the Book." Fortunately, then came the Web. A big hit in 1952 and supposedly the first million-selling comedy single: